Recommended Posts

I get small puffs of black smoke from the exhaust on gear change. I drive remarkably sensible, now that I have grown up a bit, and get 52+mpg. There is no obvious oil used between servicing and the car pulls ok. Has been serviced regularly and just had 65,000 mile service two weeks ago. I asked to have the air filter changed thinking that would sort it as it is not a huge amount of smoke. It's still happening though.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Thanks for the reply mintalkin. Not the egr valve! I have a Land Rover Defender 300TD1 (97 plate), it has an egr valve. Mine has been fine, but on the LR forum I use everyone recommends blanking the valve off.

I have the Mondeo booked in to the Main Stealers tomorrow for a diagnostic check. I will let you know what they come up with. Thanks for the link to the wiki.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

That link you sent me looked great. Have transferred the pictures in to Word so that I can print them off and follow them easilt. Probably not going to bother with the manifold, just the EGR valve. Might not get time to get the EGR off this weekend, if not next week. The Ford main dealer technician said the engine would come to no harm if I left it. What do you think about that? Can the cylinders, valves, rings etc cope ok with soot fragments going through there?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Just had the valve off and cleaned it as much as possible. Say this because the inlet from the exhaust is perpendicular to the through pipe from the intercooler and so difficult to get into. Blasted into it for ages though with carb cleaner through the usual straw supplied with the tin.

I have attached a pic of the soot build up, which was quite considerable. Took out for a test with Mrs following and it is still popping smoke out. Possible a bit better, but still there.

The pipe from the intercooler was oily, but I would expect some oil in there. She does not seem to use oil between services and the smoke is dark rather that bluish.

I could not test the valve as the guy does in that ford Wiki link as I do not have a vacuum pump. However, even if it was stuck shut would this make a difference? What is the engine management system expecting on gear change? Surely not a burst of exhaust gases through the EGR?

I did not take off the manifold as per the wiki. Do you think it is soot from in there being pushed trough the cylinders?

Any thoughts welcomed.

Cheers,

Stihl

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Took the manifold off today, it had a LOT of soot deposits in it. The ports nearest the EGR being the worst as the soot there absorbs oil from the turbo, so it turns thick like a solid crude oil. Cleaned as much out as I could and as much as I dare from the ports on the head. Got absolutely loads of sooty crud out. Put her back together and went for a spin up the road. Wife reported it looked like I was running on solid fuel when we first set off through the village, but got better later on. Thrashed it a couple of times in 4th up to just over 4000revs. There is a lovely long straight stretch near us and had her going full blast down there. Back sat on drive popping the accelerator and still putting out puffs of black smoke when revved.

Main dealer said it needed a new EGR, but I think that was because they wouldn'y want to clean it. It must be working beacause all the soot in there proves it is opening and when I cleaned it last week the carburettor cleaner pooled in it cos it was shut.

The black smoke means a an in-efficient combustion, but why? I am getting sick of it, aaahhhh!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

this problem has been much discussed on here before, i have a 1.8tdci 06 focus that puffs a bit of black smoke on heavy accel and when changing gear etc. took it to the dealers and they told me that it was well within limits for a diesel without a dpf (diesel particulate filter) and that there was nothing wrong.

I did and sometimes still do think something is wrong but the car runs fine and if the dealers (and a lot of people i know) say that its normal for a non DPF car theres not really much I can do!

does your car have a DPF?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I have found other information that says if there is a fault with the EGR or EGR control unit the engine management system over fuels slightly, under heavier acceleration, in order to keep the combustion temp down. In other words doing the job of the EGR in a different way.